Spam Cleanup?

[Gilliam]

Roll Call is also very "popular" for the spammers.

[Thakowsaizmu]

It's cool that the spammers are getting a little more inventive, putting threads up on more boards and less used boards, but could they at least research the demographic first? I mean, come on, why is every spam thread lately about Dre Beats? What part of Mutants and Masterminds does that even equate to?

[FuzzyBoots]

{nods} The TV shows/movies were a bit better of a match, you know, media entertainment and all that.

[Thakowsaizmu]

Angelina Jolie is no more hot are you agree?
Easily the best span thread title yet.

[Ghost Matter]

My favorite email spam ever was "Subject: Angelina Jolie set to destroy own vagina
Body: See the video"

[saint_matthew]

*phew* i just reported 13 spam threads... Guys, we really need to close down applications or alternatively set it up so one needs to produce a number of comments before they can post new threads. Because 13 spam threads all at once is exactly 13 to many.

[saint_matthew]

make that 16 threads & counting.

I'm reporting, as they are going up.

[FuzzyBoots]

It's incredibly ridiculous. I go to unread messages and the first two pages are almost completely spam threads, even after I went in and weeded out a dozen or two.

[saint_matthew]

just hit 19 threads.

Come on guys, its time to close down registration for a week... It'll takwe us off there list, because this kind of focused spam stops when you remove the ability for them to post.

[Doctor Devious]

As a point of interest, they won't move on if they can't get in for a wee while as they aren't that adaptive - they just follow a script. It costs them effectively nothing to try a registration using a bot, so the scripts just get bigger, they don't trim.

There needs to be greater randomness in the registration "human-verfication" scheme: e.g. captch plus a simple question from a set of at least 6 and, if possible*, a simple question or captcha on first post too.

Right now, the place is lost. But nobody with the requisit knowledge or skill is paying attention.

*The board software may or may not permit this.

[roguescribner]

Is anybody out there paying attention? Any indication that it's being worked on would be nice.

[saint_matthew]

well theres another 7, so that brings my total for tonight up to 26 reported threads tonight.

As a point of interest, they won't move on if they can't get in for a wee while as they aren't that adaptive - they just follow a script. It costs them effectively nothing to try a registration using a bot, so the scripts just get bigger, they don't trim.

Actually it will, since account activation still requires a human hand. If it comes up empty 40 times, they move on & we get crossed from the list.

Its kind of like telemarketing. If it requires human oversight, humans will move on once they no longer get a positive result.

[saint_matthew]

Heres a basic list of stop gap solutions
https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=427852
http://www.thesamet.com/blog/2006/12/21 ... bb-forums/
http://www.apromotionguide.com/stopping_phpbb_spam.html

Most of these can be used by an idiot... I should know, i've used some of them.

[Kevin_MacTaggert]

We got roaches - & they're selling sports jerseys cheap!

The Freedom City site wont allow you on the boards until admin approval.

We need that here.

[saint_matthew]

We got roaches - & they're selling sports jerseys cheap!

The Freedom City site wont allow you on the boards until admin approval.

We need that here.

Wait a second... Theres a Freedom City site? I know i'm sleepy, but when did this happen?